Butler rides Paul Jorgensen, stingy defense to victory against Brown

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 05: Butler Bulldogs guard Paul Jorgensen (5) goes in for a fast break layup after a steal during the men's college basketball game between the Butler Bulldogs and Brown Bears on December 5, 2018, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN.(Photo: File photo: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Butler’s return to Hinkle Fieldhouse since it defeated Ole Miss on Nov. 16 brought the Bulldogs just what they needed to rid themselves of the bad taste of a road loss against Saint Louis.

It might have even been hard for fans to recognize the players they saw running the floor against the Brown Bears with how stark the contrast was between those games, played less than a week apart. And that rebirth propelled Butler (6-2) to a 70-55 victory Wednesday night against Brown (6-4) in one of the Bulldogs’ last tuneups before they face the Indiana Hoosiers on Dec. 15 in the Crossroads Classic.

It's the team's 47th straight home win against a non-conference opponent.

“It was good to be back, just in competition against somebody else,” Butler coach LaVall Jordan said. “When you drop one you want to get that taste out of your mouth as quick as you can. That was the great thing about when we were in the Bahamas, it was the very next day, you didn’t have to wait long. But I think we learned from it, Saint Louis. It’s always great to be back in Hinkle and get a lift from our fans.”

Redshirt senior guard Paul Jorgensen led the Bulldogs with 19 points as junior guard Kamar Baldwin and junior Henry Baddley, who scored 10 in the first half, each finished with 12. Brown’s leading scorer, Desmond Cambridge, finished with 15 points for a Bears offense that shot just 36.4 percent from the field and 4-of-23, 17.4 percent, from beyond the arc.

The Bears came into the contest averaging nearly 25 free throw attempts each game but only shot 13 against the Bulldogs.

“That was a big emphasis going into this one,” Jordan said. “Saint Louis was 27 free throw attempts in a game and they shot 30 against us. These guys were shooting 25 a game and they only got 13 off. So being physical without fouling.”

Sophomore point guard Aaron Thompson and Baldwin led the way defensively on the perimeter, with quick hands swiping at the ball early and often. And redshirt sophomore center Joey Brunk and senior center Nate Fowler kept that going in the post. The latter pair’s size, Brunk being 6-11 and 230 pounds and Fowler being 6-10 and 240 pounds, proved difficult for the Bears to handle.

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 05: Aaron Thompson #2 of the Butler Bulldogs rebounds the ball in the game against the Brown Bears in the first half at Hinkle Fieldhouse on December 5, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Justin Casterline, Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 05: Butler Bulldogs guard Paul Jorgensen (5) goes in for a fast break layup after a steal during the men's college basketball game between the Butler Bulldogs and Brown Bears on December 5, 2018, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. File photo: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 05: Butler Bulldogs guard HenryÂ Baddley (20) hits a three pointer from the corner during the men's college basketball game between the Butler Bulldogs and Brown Bears on December 5, 2018, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Zach Bolinger Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 05: Joshua Howard #5 of the Brown Bears brinigs the ball up the court in the game against the Butler Bulldogs in the first half at Hinkle Fieldhouse on December 5, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana Justin Casterline, Getty Images

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Butler scored 13 points off 11 Brown turnovers while the Bears scored just eight off seven Bulldogs miscues. Not getting into transition often was another point of frustration for Brown’s coach, Mike Martin, especially when it came to their free throw attempts.

Butler finished with 14 fast-break points to Brown’s six.

“They made it hard for us to get in the paint, a lot of our free throws come from paint touches,” Martin said. “They did a really good job of building a wall and not allowing you to get the ball in the paint.”

There was rarely a Brown shot that wasn’t contested. Although, Jordan said he thought his team came out flat in the second half. The Bears finished with a 38-34 advantage on the scoreboard over the last 20 minutes after a first half that saw the Bulldogs lead by 19.

“I thought our ball pressure was better,” Jordan said. “I think when we were operating the way we want to on the defensive side of the ball we were able to have some pressure on them without getting beat.”

Brown had 35 rebounds to Butler's 33 and closed the points-in-the-paint gap to 26-22, but the Bulldogs’ ability to finish their opportunities lighten the mood during film sessions ahead of their matchup against Northern Illinois on Saturday. At least compared to the past few days.

While Butler shot 42.9 precent from the field against Brown, it shot just 28.1 percent against Saint Louis. The Bulldogs hit 13-of-17 free throws on Wednesday, too.

“When you watch (Brown) on film, they’re solid defensively,” Jordan said. “So, the ball moved well. We had them in rotations and we were able to make some attacking moves off the closeouts.”

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Jordan Guskey on Twitter at @JordanGuskey or email him at jguskey@gannett.com.